Birth of two new clubs

Hearthstone and Weightlifting clubs become Union-recognized

Alumni weekend has come and gone with Homecoming & Reunion, and I sincerely hope you had a chance to meet some of the amazing individuals who have walked these same halls. It is hard for me to pin down the highlight of my weekend, or who was the most interesting person I met; there were simply so many great events to attend and individuals to meet. From a President of the Union who still had the pants he wore the day he was elected to an astronaut who returned from the International Space Station, Rensselaer truly produces students of the highest caliber with a good deal of character. If you didn’t get the chance to come out and see some of the events yourself, you can still catch the sports events through the RPI TV website (and congrats to men’s football on another hard fought win). There are also photos abound on any of the social media outlets of the Rensselaer Union and other groups on campus.

On Saturday, Grand Marshal Marcus Flowers ’16 and I held a special event for the 125th anniversary weekend, in which we hosted a brunch and invited all past GMs and PUs to join us and share their memories. We were fortunate to have many in attendance, as well as two previous Directors of the Union and a former Vice President of Student life. We heard stories of everything from the tin towns that used to populate the hills where the East Campus Athletic Village now stands, to a PU who was almost impeached, to a PU that threatened to defund the Poly for cutting his column. (Don’t worry Poly editors, we’re cool.) The 125 years of student leadership and activism was truly represented on Saturday, and it shows the incredible pride that burns in the hearts of all those who love our student-run Union.

A quick update on the Executive Board side of things: as I’m sure you’ll see in greater detail from our Poly correspondent, the executive board approved two new clubs this past week for Union Recognition! Congrats to RPI Weightlifting (and their sweet “Reps for Shirley” shirts) and RPI Hearthstone club. To those that may not know, there are various levels of affiliation for groups with the Union. Affiliation simply allows a group to associate with the Union and use basic resources such as the Club Management System. Union recognition allows clubs to use the purchasing power of the Union, reserve rooms, and utilize many of the recruiting resources available. Union funded clubs are just that, organizations funded wholly or in part by the Union to pay for their functions. This comes in the form of many club athletic teams, Union Programs and Activities Committee events, and much, much more. If you’re interested in starting a group, please get in touch with me, Amy Corron in the Admin office, or my Policies chair Jeremy Feldman ’16 and we can help you out. With over 250 clubs recognized, over 150 clubs funded, and both lists growing, there is something for everyone! And if you can’t find something for you, we can help you create it.

I would also like to announce that I am forming a group of student leaders to research and investigate how the Summer Arch program will be affecting the Union and how we can best adapt to the situation. If you are interested in assisting, please email me at pu@rpi.edu as soon as possible. The sooner work begins, the more groundwork we can lay to better the experience for all students. As always, let me know if there’s ever anything I can do for you. I’m always looking for new ways to help the students I serve every day, and I am only ever just an email away.